Periodically actuated aerosol dispenser

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS IS CONTAINED IN A HOUSING HAVING AN INSERTION SOCKET FOR SUCCESSIVE AEROSOL CONTAINERS, SUCH AS DISPENSE INSECTICIDES BY RELEASE AT TIMED INTERVALS. THE APPARATUS PROVIDES A BATTERY-DRIVEN ELECTRIC MOTOR HAVING A LIFTING CAM, ON EACH SINGLE ROTATION, THE CAM TRIPS A TRANSVERSE DROP-LEVER WHICH TRIGGERS THE SPRING-LOADED RELEASE VALVE OF THE DISPENSER. AT END OF EACH ROTATION, THE MOTOR IS SHUT OFF BY A MAGNET ON THE CAM, WHICH OPENS A MAGNETIC REED VALVE TO BREAK THE BATTERY-TO-MOTOR CIRCUIT. DURING OFF PERIOD, A CAPACITOR IS CHARGED THROUGH A SECONDARY CIRCUIT, AND THEN DISCHARGED TO THE MOTOR TO INITIATE ANOTHER MOTOR-AND-CAM ROTATION WHICH REMOVES THE CAMMAGNET FROM THE REED VALVE, ALLOWING LATTER TO CLOSE BATTERY-TO-MOTOR CIRCUIT SO AS TO POWER REMAINDER OF REVOLUTION. THE PERIOD REQUIRED FOR THE CAPACITOR TO CHARGE IS SET AS THE DESIRED INTERVAL BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE DISCHARGE OF THE AEROSOL RELEASE VALVE. THE ACTUATING DROP-LEVER ALSO HAS ADJUSTABLE TENSION MEANS AT ITS TRIGGER END, PLUS   HOLD-DOWN TIME-RELEASE MEANS EMBODIED IN A SUCTION CUP AND VACUUM-RELEASE PLATFORM AT ITS OTHER END. AN INSERTION SLOT IS PROVIDED ON THE DROP-LEVER FOR ATTACHMENT OF SELECTED WEIGHTS USED TO COUNTERBALANCE SPRING TENSION OF THE DISPENSER RELEASE VALVE.

0ct. 26, 1971 G. L.. BlscHoFr-'f 3,615,041

PERIODICALLY CTUATED AEROSOL DISPENSER maa March 25,' 1970 INVENTOR. 61mm L. B/.sawaFF 'United States Patent O PERIODICALLY ACTUATED AEROSOL DISPENSER Garth Lamont Bischol, 190 N. Cypress St., Orange, Calif. 92666 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 301,049, Aug. 9, 1963, now Patent No. 3,182,857, dated May 11, 1965. This application Mar. 25, 1970, Ser. No. 22,595

Int. Cl. G04c 23/38 U.S. Cl. 222-70 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus is contained in a housing having an insertion socket for successive aerosol containers, such as dispense insecticides by release at timed intervals. The apparatus provides a battery-driven electric motor having a lifting cam; on each single rotation, the cam trips a transverse drop-lever which triggers the spring-loaded release valve of the dispenser. At end of each rotation, the motor is shut off by a magnet on the cam, which opens a magnetic reed valve to break the battery-to-motor circuit. During ott period, a capacitor is charged through a secondary circuit, and then discharged to the motor to initiate another motor-and-cam rotation which removes the camrnagnet from the reed valve, allowing latter to close battery-to-motor circuit so as to power remainder of revolution. The period required for the capacitor to charge is set as the desired interval between successive discharges of the aerosol release valve. The actuating drop-lever also has adjustable tension means at its trigger end, plus hold-down time-release means embodied in a suction cup and vacuum-release platform at its other end. An insertion slot is provided on the drop-lever for attachment of selected weights used to counterbalance spring tension of the dispenser release valve.

In my U.S. Pat, 3,182,857 issued May ll, 1965, there was shown an apparatus which periodically (such as every minutes) triggers a brief discharge of an aerosol dispenser, etfected by means of a constantly slowly rotating motor which carries a lifting cam. The cam, at a rotational position of its cycle which corresponds to the desired time interval, lifts a transverse, valve-operating lever arm, and then trips or drops the arm to a valve-opening position of the spray dispenser, at which position it is briey held and subsequently released by a suction cup arrangement. The valve-open position of the arm is normally overbalanced by the tension of the spring-loaded valve of the dispenser, which spring holds the container outlet tightly closed during the remainder of the cam rotation. The present improvement on this construction provides such an apparatus or assembly which can 'be operated at similar desired intervals, automatically, by a battery-driven motor, which motor runs, by a single rotation, only at the brief dispenser-discharge periods. The lifting cam presently carries a magnet so that after the motor and cam have made (nearly) a single revolution, the magnet is brought adjacent a magnetic reed switch in the battery-to-motor circuit, which switch is thereby opened and the motor turned otf. In the subsequent cut-off period a capacitor is then charged by a secondary circuit from the battery. It then discharges to the motor so as to start another rotation and carry the magnet beyond the cut-oil reed switch which then closes; this enables the remainder of the single rotation to be power driven from the battery. As noted in the preceding abstract, it is this capacitor charging period which produces the desired time interval between successive discharges of the pressurized dispenser; a capacitor can be selected which produces the particular Mice pause which is desired. Likewise, the period during which the release valve is held open can be adjusted (as before); in addition, the drop-lever is now provided with a weightinsertion slot so that its carried weight can be varied.

Such aerosol dispensers commonly contain small droplets of liquid held under pressure of an inert gas, which latter upon release disperses the droplets as a transient suspension in the surrounding atmosphere. Various materials such as disinfectants, deodorizers, insecticides, ionic precipitating agents, etc. may be dispersed in this manner, both indoors and out. A particular utilization is in connection with periodic (or continuing) fumigation or treatment of inclosed areas containing poultry or animals (c g. dairies) which require the application or maintenance of such substance over a considerable period of time.

The foregoing and related objects may be attained by the presently illustrated and described embodiment of the invention wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the dispersing assembly in its housing, with the vertical front cover removed, and showing the depressed position of the suction cup in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a vertical elevational view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 with a portion of the suction cup attachment platform seen in section.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view partly in vertical section, of the drop-lever arm and associated spray-actuating mechanism, with the raised position of the arm indicated in broken lines.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical system with the lifting cam and magnetic reed switch appearing in elevation.

There is provided a generally rectangular housing 10 consisting of two separable members, a rear, upright, horizontally-shallow member 12, and a complementary, forward, cover member 14 which may be thrust-engageable with the container portion 12 and is characterized by a front, spray outlet opening 15. Both members may be cast or formed of synthetic plastic material and the like.

The unit is adapted to Ibe hung or suspended against a vertical wall or placed on a shelf or on the floor in an upright position, usually with the rear member 12 secured to a structural partition. The rear wall 11 is formed with several forward-projecting support elements consisting (in an upper quadrant) of upper 16 and lower 17 motor support posts, an edge-located pivot support post 18, an intermediate-level suction cup support platform 19, a lower three-sided, open-front battery frame 20, and a vertically-separated pair of forward-opening U-arms 21, 22 which jointly Vform an insertion socket for an aerosol container C. The U-arms accordingly are shaped for partially embracing the respective upper and lower peripheral curvatures of a generally cylindrical container C in which the aerosol is stored under pressure. The container may be further secured in the socket with the oriice 24 of its nozzle 25 aligned and -spaced back from the cover opening 15, by an overlying strap or wire 26 which extends from one attachment lug '27 to another 28, the pair of attachment lugs being upward projections from the respective forward ends of the upper pair of U- arms 21.

From a pivot pin 30 of the support post 18 is suspended a crosswise extending, operating arm or drop-lever 31 which at its outer end is formed with a dependent, vertically at-sided extension plate 32 which terminates in a generally horizontally-inturned mounting tab 33. The tab threadedly receives the upward-directed attachment screw 34 of a suction cup 35. The upper, outer edge of the plate 32 is formed with an angularly downslanted insertion slot 36 which slidingly receives the axial shaft 37 of a diametrically grooved or slotted, annular Weight 38. Such a Weight can be easily mounted and removed, and weights of dii'fer- .release spring 47 (which sometimes varies from one container to another).

Adjacent the pivot end of the drop-arm 31 there is a resilient tongue 39 extending from a dependently arced neck 43 so as to spacedly underlie a length of the arm 31 and to abut a contact nut 40 carried on the lower end of an adjustment screw 41 which threadedly traverses a vertical boss 42 of the arm. By turning the screw 41, the force or position at which the undersurface of the tongue presses upon the nozzle 25 can be adjusted. The nozzle element 25 is formed with an upstanding stem 29 at its rear margin, the stem having a vertically planar, forward face which serves both as an alignment guide for the vertically oscillating arm 31 and also keeps the spray orifice 24 turned forward, that is, aimed at the housing opening 15.

Within the neck area 23 of the container C is a crosswall 44 which suspends a tubular, cylindrical housing 45 containing a conical-topped piston 46 and a compression spring 47. A tubular piston stem 48 extends upward from the housed piston through an apertured boss 49 which is on the upper surface of the support Wall 44. The flared top 50 of the tubular stern 48 is anchored in a corresponding cavity of the nozzle structure 25. The under-face of the nozzle Ibutton 25 is recessed at 51 so that it can move down against the wall 44 surrounding the boss 49 when the nozzle is depressed (by the tongue 38), thus briey unseating the piston and allowing aerosol from the container to pass through the port'52, up the hollow stern 48 into the nozzle chamber 53 and out the orifice 24. Means are provided for holding down the depressed nozzle and piston for a limited time and then releasing them by releasing the depressed operating arm or lever 31. The platform 19"^which is located to receive the dropped Suction cup upon -its top face 55, has a central, dependent rib 56 which is formed with a pair of intersecting bores 57, 58 (FIG. 2) of which the vertical bore 57 opens in the area of the platform face S5 which is overlaid by the descending suction cup 35. The intersecting, horizontal bore 58 opens to the exterior so as to allow external air to drain back into the space beneath the depressed suction cup and refiate the same, that is, to abolish the holding force of the vacuum which was transiently created beneath the resilient cup. In line with the upright bore 57, is a tapped aperture 59 in which a screw 60 carrying a lock nut `61 is inserted so that the inner protruding end of the screw partly blocks the airow through the passages 57, 58. Accordingly, by turning the screw 60, the amount of the blockage can be regulated, and hence the speed with which the suction cup loses its force of attachment can be varied.

A synchronous DC electric motor 62 is suspended from the rear wall 11 by the posts 16, 17. The drive shaft 63 of the motor carries an arcuate-nger-shaped lifting cam 64 which is spaced rearward from the carried weight 38 of the dependent plate 32 of the drop-arm 31 (FIG. 2), but is aligned upon rotation to contact the rear lengthwise portion 65 of arm 31 from beneath so as to raise the arm (to the position shown in broken lines FIGS) and then drop it. When the arm is thus dropped, the plunger valve 46 opens and is held open bythe suction cup 35 until the latter releases; whereupon the spring 47 raises the arm 31 and closes the Valve 46 thus shutting off the spray released through the orifice 24 and housing outlet 15.

The motor 62 is electrically connected to a pair of dry cells 66, 67 in the battery-retaining frame 20 by conductors 68, 69. A circuit board 70 is suspended jointly between the post 17 and a motor attachment ear 54 so as to overlie the face of the motor, with the drive shaft 63 rotatably traversing the board. A magnet 72 is embedded in the lifting cam `64 so as to overlie a magnetic reed switch 73 on the circuit board when the cam has moved to the cam-rest or stop position shown in FIG. 4, at which position the magnet opens the switch and thus stops the motor. It continues to hold the reed switch open so as to prevent the normal current ow from the batteries to the motor. Such ma-gnetic reed switches are commercially available and are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pats. 3,233,060 and 3,402,375.

However, the batteries also form part of another or secondary circuit composed of capacitor 74, resistances 75, 76, transistors 77, 78, which circuit functions during the shut-.ott period. The capacitor is charged by slowly draining a small current such as 2 micromilliamperes per second from the dry cells. After the required interval, such as l5 minutes, the capacitor discharges and starts the motor and cam to rotate. When the cam has moved approximately 30, the carried magnet 72 no longer holds the reed switch 73 open, and the closing of the latter sends current from the cells 66, 67 directly and continuously through the motor `62, thus enabling the cam 64 to complete its single revolution, whereupon the magnet 72 again breaks the primary circuit by opening the reed switch 73.

As referred to in column 1, this is in part a continuation and an improvement of my Pat. No. 3,182,857 issued May 11, 1965.

I claim 1. In combination with an apparatus for periodically triggering a brief discharge of an aerosol dispenser and the like by means of a release-valve-actuating drop-lever which lever is operated by a motor-rotated lifting cam, the improvement comprising a magnet carried by said lifting cam;

an electric motor adapted intermittently to effect single rotations of said lifting cam, -said motor being connected to a source of electric power by a primary circuit;

a condenser connected to said source of electric power by a secondary circuit which is operable to charge same during a desired time interval following a single rotation while the motor is cut off, and then to discharge the condenser to said motor through the primary circuit and thereby start another motor and cam rotation;

and a magnetically responsive switch located in said primary circuit and adapted to be opened by said magnet upon completion of each rotation of the motor and lifting cam, and subsequently to close said primary circuit and thus enable completion of the motor and cam rotation which has been initiated by discharge of said condenser.

2. The combination of the precedng claim 1 wherein said source of electric power is self contained in a housing which holds said apparatus.

3. The combination of the preceding claim 1 wherein said drop-lever is provided with means for detachable connection of a selected weight thereto.

4. The combination of the preceding claim 1 wherein said drop-lever is provided with hold-down and adjustable timed-release means including a suction cup and associated slow vacuum-release means whereby the brief discharge period of said dispenser may be predetermined.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,182,857 5/1965 Bischoff et al 222-180 X lROB-ERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner F. J. BARTUSKA, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

